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As I mentioned my grandmother is the one that taught me to crochet as a young girl [around 7]. She taught me using thread because that was mainly what she used and maybe that's also how she was taught. A few days ago I had decided to try to figure out a pattern for piece I have that she made but that had never been written down.
There was definitely a bit of trial and error here as the piece is cotton and been washed quite a few times since it's making so the stitches weren't always clear as rows seemed to have blended a little. After a few tries and frogging I finally got a square that resembled her's.
Having a workable pattern I decided I'm crazy enough to work the squares in 3 plies of ombre embroidery floss [that's half of a hank strand which is 6 ply] and a size 9 steel hook. Now I may be crazy but I'm not totally insane. ;-) So I decided to keep it down to a small block of 6 squares in the primary and secondary shades. I may use it for a book mark or perhaps under a small figurine. I present to you my heritage square block. Thank you Nana.
I still have a sleeve to go on the sweater I'm working on but I decided a small break would be okay. More to the point I felt pulled to something else. A specific something. As some of you may know, my grandmother is the one that taught me to crochet as a young girl. It was one of the gifts she gave to me. I still am thankful to her for it. I have a small table covering that she did made up of a square pattern she used to do in thread crochet. It reminds me of her every time I go by it and see it. There is no written version of the pattern. Last night I just felt pulled not to loose this pattern that feels to me so much a part of her and therefore a part of me. So I sat there on the floor late last night looking at the squares and trying to sort out some sort of pattern for it. I think I have something but I will have to work it out on the hook and see if it comes out as it should.
Now I love when I come across one of those old vintage books. Seeing the old patterns. Thinking of who made up that pattern and just what was their inspiration for it? This brings to mind, to me at least, how many patterns not written down have fallen by the wayside. Lost forever. Where is your heritage square (circle, pattern, etc.)? How many patterns get lost because we are so used to seeing them or that they are simple stitches that we might have come think of them as nothing special. What was left to you in a bedspread, a tablecloth or even a dish cloth? What treasures lie undiscovered in that dusty old attic trunk you haven't opened in years? I encourage you to take a peek. Maybe try to reproduce them. Even if it's not exactly the same wouldn't it be worth it to hold on to that precious piece of family history? What if you just did that one square and incorporated it into a remembrance page in a scrap book to be passed on down generations with the written pattern for the future crocheter in your family that you may never meet. What if you just invented one little square of your own? What gift will you pass?
I can't wait to hear and see your stories and I hope you will share them with me in comments or perhaps a link to your blog with your own story.
